Creel spacer



May 28, 1963 SSSSSSSS ER 3,091,407

CRE EEEEEE ER United States Patent O 3,091,407 CREEL SPACER Samuel B.Snyder, Drums, Pa. Filed May 5, 1961, Ser. No. 108,152 2 Claims. (Cl.24h-54) This invention comprises a novel and useful creel spacer andmore particularly pertains to a reel `or creel having spacers forinterposition between the thread or yarn 'wound thereon and 'which creeland spacers are particularly adapted for handwe-aving.

In certain weaving operations and particularly in handweaving the threador yarn in customarily wound upon reels or creels between sets of pinsand is unwound therefrom as the yarn is used in the weaving process. Inorder to prevent tangling of the yarn, and to obtain a more uniformfeeding of the yarn as the same is used in the weaving operation tothereby produce a more' uniform tension in the yarn and therefore a yfarsuperior finished product, the present invention contemplates the use ofa particular spacer which may be readily -applied between selected pairsof adjacent pins on the creel to separate successive courses of yarnWound thereon and which will automatically drop from the creel and bediscarded when the overlying course of yarn is removed from the creel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spacer constructionespecially adapted for the foregoing object which shall be of simple andinexpensive construction, extremely light in weight, of relatively thinmaterial.

A further object of the invention is to provide a creel spacer inaccordance with the foregoing objects which shall be readily applied tothe pins of `a creel and may be easily .and automatically discardedtherefrom when the overlying course of yarn is removed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spacer construction inaccordance with the preceding objects whereby a plurality of spacers maybe readily disposed upon the creel in end-to-end arrangement withrespect to each other and engaging the same pin therebetween withoutinterfering with the operation of each other.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation yas more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencelbeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a Side elevational View showing a form of creel to which thespacer of this invention has been applied, the threads or yarn beingshown wound theron;

FIGURE 2 is a detail view in vertical longitudinal section taken upon anenlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by the sectionline 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the creel of FIG- URE l to which thisinvention has been applied; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one of the spacer elements inaccordance with this invention.

In certain types of weaving operations and particularly in handweavinguse is made of a creel or reel upon which threads, yarn o1' otherstring-like material employed as the warp thread in the weaving processis wound. This material, hereinafter referred to as yarn is unwound orunrolled from the creel as the weaving operation progresses. In order toimprove the uniformity of tension as the yarn is wound upon the creeland as the yarn is dispensed therefrom during the weaving operation, thepresent invention makes use of spacers which separate adjacent overlyingcourses of yarn to prevent tangling of the yarn, insure uniform tensionof the y-arn and facilitate the "ice unwinding of the yarn. Thesespacers automatically drop from the creel as the overlying course ofyarn which retains the spacers upon the creel is withdrawn.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, it will beobserved that the numeral 10 designates generally a suitable form ofreel or creel in accordance with the present invention. In the type ofcreel shown, there is provided an elongated body 12 which is generallyvcr-uciform in cross section consisting of a plurality of longitudinallyextending Langes `or ribs 14 projecting from the central portion of thecreel and disposed at right angles to each other. The outermost edges ofthese ribs or anges 14 are provided with dat surfaces 16, and aplurality of radially extending bores or .apertures as at 20 aredisposed in rows with equidistant longitudinal spacing therebetween toreceive a plurality of parallel lugs or pins 22 which project from thebody. As illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 4, adjacent pins are adapted toreceive therebetweencourses 24 of yarn 26 which is wound about thecreel. In some instances a single strand of yarn may be utilized, whilein other instances, as illustrated in the accompanying draw-ings, :aplurality of strands in side-by-side relation may be employed.

In accordance with this invention a plurality of spacers each indicatedgenerally by the numeral 30 are utilized, these spacers being rdisposedbetween adjacent pins 22 and between adjacent or selected courses of theyarn to be wound upon the reel. rIhus, yas will ybe more readilyapparent from FIGURES 2 and 3, successive courses of yarn may rest uponand overlie the surface 16 of the ribs or flanges 14, and thensuccessive spacers 30 interposed between successive courses of yarn.Alternatively, spacers may be provided between successive numbers ofcourses of yarn is desired.

The spacer 30 in accordance with this invention consists of a relativelythin dat strip of material of any suitable nature. In some instances,such economical materials as cardboard, thin metal, plastics or the likemay be utilized. It is merely necessary that this material shall be asthin as possible with respect to its other dimensions so as to increasethe spacing between adjacent courses of yarn `as little as possible.Further, the width of the spacer strip should not exceed the width ofthe flat surfaces 16 of the flanges 14. The importance of this lastcharacteristic is that the rigidity `of the flanges 14 will serve tofirmly support and minimize possible distortion and flexing of thestrips as they are subjected to the pressure of the overlying courses ofyarn `by which the strips are pressed towards the body of the creel.

An essential feature of the spacer strips 30 is that their oppos-iteends are provided with openings in the form of recesses 32. Theserecesses 32 are preferably semi-circular or of slightly less 4arcuateextent, and are `of a radius which is greater than that of the pins 22.Further, the dimensions and proportions of the spacer strip and itsrecesses compared to the spacing of the pins 22 is such that each stripmay be loosely and slidably `accommodated between and engage upon anypair of adjacent pins so that the strips may be removed by slidingaxially along the pins when the overlying `course of yarn is unrolledtherefrom, but cannot be removed from the pins by lateral slidingmovement. Further, the dimensions of the `strips are such that assuggested in FIGURES l and 2, adjacent endwise disposed strips mayengage upon adjacent pairs of pins and be retained thereon with theadjacent ends of lthe strips being out of contact with each other. Bythis arrangement, as soon as the overlying course of yarn is withdrawnfrom a given set of pins, the corresponding spacing strip thus uncoveredwill automatically drop from the pins as the creel is turned during theunwinding of the yarn thereby freeing the next course of yarn, while '3the yarn on the adjacent sets of pins and their spacer strips remainundisturbed.

It will thus be readily seen that the present invention enables theweaver to maintain a uniform tensioning and uniform spacing of the yarnbetween adjacent pins on the creel despite the fact that numerous.overlying courses of yarn may be wound upon the creel and between thesame pins. Moreover, the spacer strips whicheiect this functionvare.automatically discarded as the yarn is unwound. Further, each spacerstrip is capable `of being used between any pair of adjacent pins uponthe creel and the insertion of or the withdrawal `of the spacer from apair of pinsv is free of interference by the next adjacent spacer uponthe creel and which may be engaged upon the same pin.

The strips are inexpensive, extremely compact and fiat, and lalthougheffectively separating adjacent courses of yarn, do not increasek thediameter of the loaded reel to any appreciable extent.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily `occur to thoseV 4. between these pins, said spacer comprising-a flat rectangular strip of a relatively thin material and havingrecesses in its opposite ends for loosely receiving said pinstherebetween, the dimensions of said spacers and their recesses beingsuch that the spacers may readily slide Iaxially of the pins anddisengage therefrom when the overlying course of yarn is removed but areprevented from lateral removal from said pins by engagement of saidrecesses on said pins, the dimensions of said spacers and recesses beingsuch that adjacent spacers may be placed in end-toend alignment withtheir adjacent recesses engaged upon a common pin.

2. A weavers creel comprising a body having at least three parallelequidistantly spaced pins projecting therefrom, a pluralityofspacerseach comprising ia thin iiat strip having recesses infits opposite ends,said strips and recesses being so proportioned relative to thespacing ofthe pins that a pair of spacers may be disposed between said three pinsin end-to-end relation and with yan intermediate pin being received inthe adjacent recesses of the adjacentendsof said pair of spacers, thespacing and size of said strips and recesses being such that when theoverlying course of yarn is removed from between a pair `of pins theassociated spacer may slide axially Ifrom said pms.

ReierencesCitedtin the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.7,824` Hoskin July 3l, 1877 882,019 Reed Mar. 17, 1908 1,624,183Richardson et al Apr. 12, 1927

1. A WEAVER''S CREEL COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF UNIFORMLYSPACED PARALLEL PINS PROJECTING THEREFROM BETWEEN WHICH COURSES OF YARNARE TO BE WOUND, A SPACER ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED BETWEEN A PAIR OFADJACENT PINS FOR INTERPOSITION BETWEEN ADJACENT COURSES OF YARN WOUNDBETWEEN THESE PINS, SAID SPACER COMPRISING A FLAT RECTANGULAR STRIP OF ARELATIVELY THIN MATERIAL AND HAVING RECESSES IN ITS OPPOSITE ENDS FORLOOSELY RECEIVING SAID PINS THEREBETWEEN, THE DIMENSIONS OF SAID SPACERSAND THEIR RECESSES BEING SUCH THAT THE SPACERS MAY READILY SLIDE AXIALLYOF THE PINS AND DISENGAGE THEREFROM WHEN THE OVERLYING COURSE OF YARN ISREMOVED BUT ARE PREVENTED FROM LATERAL REMOVAL FROM SAID PINS BYENGAGEMENT OF SAID RECESSES ON SAID PINS, THE DIMENSIONS OF SAID SPACERSAND RECESSES BEING SUCH THAT ADJACENT SPACERS MAY BE PLACED IN END-TOENDALIGNMENT WITH THEIR ADJACENT RECESSES ENGAGED UPON A COMMON PIN.